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Portland Trail Blazers: 25 Best Players To Play For The Trail Blazers

By Phil Watson

Oct 29, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; A general view during a game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; A general view during a game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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AUBURN HILLS, MI – CIRCA 1990: Vinnie Johnson #15 of the Detroit Pistons looks to passes the ball over the top of Buck Williams #52 of the Portland Trail Blazers during an NBA basketball game circa 1990 at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Johnson played for the Pistons from 1981-91. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
AUBURN HILLS, MI – CIRCA 1990: Vinnie Johnson #15 of the Detroit Pistons looks to passes the ball over the top of Buck Williams #52 of the Portland Trail Blazers during an NBA basketball game circa 1990 at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Johnson played for the Pistons from 1981-91. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Buck Williams was the best player in the NBA no one had heard of when the Portland Trail Blazers acquired the former All-Star from the New Jersey Nets in June 1989 in exchange for Sam Bowie and a first-round pick in 1989.

Williams came to the Blazers and he rebounded and played defense—at a very high level. He was a three-time All-Defensive selection with Portland and led the NBA in field-goal percentage in 1990-91 and 1991-92.

POR_12_WILLIAMS
POR_12_WILLIAMS /

He also helped the Blazers reach the NBA Finals twice in his first three seasons with the club.

Against the Detroit Pistons in the 1990 NBA Finals, Williams averaged 11.2 points, nine rebounds and 1.8 assists in 38.4 minutes per game, shooting .465/—/.640 in the five-game loss.

In 1992, he put up 7.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and an assist in 35.8 minutes per game, shooting .500/—/15-for-16 as the Blazers lost to the Chicago Bulls in six games.

Williams was released in July 1996.

In seven seasons in Portland, Williams averaged 10.2 points and 8.7 rebounds in 30.8 minutes per game, shooting .550/3-for-9/.695.

He declared for the pros after averaging 15.5 points and 11.7 rebounds as a junior at Maryland and was the third overall pick by the Nets in the 1981 NBA Draft.

Williams was the Rookie of the Year in 1981-82 as well as a three-time All-Star, an All-NBA selection in 1982-83 and an All-Defensive pick in 1987-88, finishing in the top five in rebounding seven times with New Jersey, including second in both 1982-83 and 1983-84.

He signed with the New York Knicks in July 1996 and retired in January 1999.

Williams is 16th in NBA history with 1,307 games, 21st with 42,464 minutes played, 15th with 13,017 rebounds, 17th with a field-goal percentage of .549 and 45th with an average of 10.0 rebounds per game.

Next: Outshined The Father As An All-Star

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